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Dear Counselor, Can you tell me the difference between a Liberal Arts college and regular college or university? Is it beneficial for someone to attend a Liberal Arts college if one doesn’t know his or her major yet? Since I am not working a part-time or summer job, will it affect my application?
Answer:
This is a great question. Liberal arts colleges usually focus on broad, traditionally academic-based subjects– English, History, Biology, Philosophy, Economics, etc. They are great colleges to attend if you want to learn about everything; they are also great places to go to if you’re not sure what you want to major in, since you can try lots of things…but there are a couple of things to consider.
First, it’s hard to describe the curricula of all liberal arts colleges– while some may not offer music or engineering, some may, so be sure to look closely at what each college offers. Second, some students choose to go to a university– which is just a collection of colleges– so they can try some courses out in the liberal arts college, but transfer to a different college within the university later (like transferring from Philosophy to the College of Nursing).
Third, remember that trying out all these classes may take some time– it’s not unusual for some liberal arts students to spend 5 years in college because there were so many things they wanted to learn. That’s great for learning– but if you’re tight on money, be careful.
Colleges don’t specifically require work experience– they often see it as part of your extracurricular activities, so if you are involved in other things that take up your time after school (music, sports, duties at home), don’t worry.
As a counselor and college adviser for 25 years, Patrick O’Connor has helped unemployed workers, veterans, returning students, and new high school graduates learn new skills, earn degrees, prepare for graduate school and get better-paying jobs. He’s a past president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, and author of the widely acclaimed college guide College is Yours in 600 Words or Less. Most important, he’d like to help you realize your goals for college and career success.
